Reunion
by Wavebreeze
Summary: After discovering the secret of St. Mystere, the Professor takes Luke and Flora back to Luke's home where Luke happily meets up with his father. But how long will they actually be together? Slight FloraxLuke but not much.


_Reunion_

Luke couldn't take his eyes off of it. He tried his best to take in everything at once but the car was just moving too fast. He felt himself getting more thrilled with each familiar building they went speeding by.

Next to Luke was a tall man with a top hat that gave him another few inches. His eyes were focused on the road ahead as he gently maneuvered between the other cars. Luke was silently waiting for the professor to say something, at least a new riddle or puzzle that had sprung into his head randomly.

However, it looked like the young boy would be given a break (if that was a good or bad thing, he wasn't sure) for Flora was sound asleep in the back. The Professor had said it would be rude for a _gentleman _to talk while a young lady was sleeping.

It was tempting to ask the all tedious question "are we there yet" but it was unnecessary as they rounded the corner onto the oh-so familiar street…

There. Right up ahead on the right side of the lane. The apartment building standing tall between two identical ones. That's the one. The one Luke knew and loved.

A large grin forms on Luke's face while the car rolled down to a stop, and right on cue, Flora fluttered her eyes awake.

"Here we are, my boy," the Professor smiles gently at the anticipating Luke, "here's your house."

After all of those terrifying nights and never ending questions swimming in his head, he felt so unbearably joyful to finally be at his home. Just the sight sent him practically jumping up and down in his seat.

"Let your father know that we're here, I'll get the bags and Flora," the Professor instructed upon seeing the anxious face of his apprentice. Beaming with happiness, Luke jumps out the door and run towards the door, his bag flapping along side him.

He bursts through the door but doesn't stop for one moment as he goes sprinting up the staircase. Taking the stairs two at a time, he finally reaches the third floor. Still running at top speed, he dashes down the hallway to room thirty-two.

For the first time, he stops and straightens himself up while catching his breath. He then raises his small fist and gently raps on the door.

Excited, he listens carefully for the noise of rushing and fumbling as the person hurries him or herself to the door. A few minutes later, the doorknob jiggles around before pulling itself open. The woman peers through the small door, her face a look of caution and puzzlement as she searches for the visitor. Her eyes shine like stars and her mouth breaks out into a huge smile as soon as her eyes set upon the little boy standing before her.

"Luke!" she cries with glee while throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. He only laughs and hugs her back. Repeating his name over and over again, she swings him back and forth, tears of joy brimming her eyes.

She finally put him down to gaze at the boy. Luke also took the time to take in everything about the lady. She may not be his mother, but she definitely took care of him and his father. Her blond curls were pulled up into a bun but thousands of loose stands hung around her face. Her pale hands smooth out her dirty apron and Luke notices a tiny bit of sauce on the side of her face.

"How are you, Amelia?" Luke asks politely, remembering what the Professor had said about being a gentleman.

However, the caretaker Amelia ignores the question and squeals with delight, "Look at how much you've grown! It's been _years_!"

Luke gives a little chuckle, "only six months," he responds with a mischievous grin.

"Well six months too many!" A new voice calls from inside the apartment. Luke's face lights up like a star as he peers past his caretaker and into the room.

"Father!" he exclaims the second he sees him. Sliding past Amelia, he sprints to his father and wraps his small arms around his father's neck.

The man gives a wheezing laugh before hugging his son back with his frail arms, silently wishing he wasn't in the cursed wheelchair so he could have been the one to answer the door.

"My boy," he whispers to himself, rubbing his hands up and down his son's back, "my sweet boy…"

"Hello," the Professor sounds from behind the two and they look around to see him. "I am Hershel Layton," he introduces himself to the caretaker, gently shaking her hand, "it is a pleasure to meet you."

The woman giggles to herself in a bit of flirting manner, "I believe you said that the last time we met."

The Professor laughs along with her, "Oh yes, my bad. Well, it is always an honor to be in your hospitality."

The woman giggles again as the Professor slips his hand away.

"And this lovely young lady is Flora," he announces, softly placing a hand on Flora. She smiles shyly and whispers "Hello."

"Thank you again for taking my son in," the man says in a rasping voice. "It was very nice of you."

"Do not worry," the Professor smiles and shakes his head, "he was a pleasure to have around."

"Now my boy," the man grins at his son, giving his attention back to him, "you must tell me of all of your adventures!"

Luke nods enthusiastically and begins to explain everything that happened to him and the Professor, along with the finding of Flora.

In the meantime, Amelia shows the Professor and Flora to their rooms for the night. There was only one room intended for the Professor but he gave it to Flora and said that he'd sleep in the family room with Luke.

While Amelia was explaining what there was to explain about Flora's room, she had to go off in a hurry when the tea began to whistle.

As soon as the lady was gone, Flora turned her attention to the Professor and couldn't help but speak her mind.

"Professor," she begins with wide eyes, "what is wrong with Luke's father? He doesn't look very well."

The man, Luke's father, was indeed, very sick. The Professor sadly explains to Flora about how the Professor wandered into Luke when he had been at the market. Luke had stolen some medicine and a few men were chasing after him. Luke had bumped into the Professor and dropped the medicine, showing it in plain sight as the two men ran up to them. The Professor so kindly paid for the medicine and then walked back with Luke to his house. He had learned the Luke didn't go to school so he could attend to his father's aid. They were running low on the saved money, which had made Luke steel the medicine. Upon seeing his father bound in a wheelchair, coughing and hacking, the Professor had an idea. He offered to take Luke to see the world with him and educate him to his best at the same time.

Luke's father was thrilled by the idea and paid the Professor a small amount of money (even though the Professor tried to deny it at first). The caretaker Amelia was a friend of Luke's mother who had died in childbirth. She agreed to held take care of Luke and his father.

With a frown on her face and sad eyes, Flora asks, "what is wrong with his father?"

"He had a stroke about two years ago, paralyzing his legs. I am unsure of what is causing his cough, but maybe it has something to do with his stroke."

"Poor Luke…" she mumbles to herself before Amelia comes rushing in with three cups of tea.

"Tea anyone?"

Layton only planned to spend one night before setting off on the road again but he was determined to make it a night to remember for his young apprentice.

Amelia cooked up a wonderful meal of pot-roast, chicken soup, apple pie for dessert, and, of course, tea. At some points Flora dearly missed her mother when she saw how happy Luke was to be with his father again. Even though, she couldn't help but enjoy the bliss between the two when they laughed and shared jokes. The Professor and Luke told everyone some puzzles that they particularly liked and, judging by the gleam in his eye, Luke's father was fairly impressed by the puzzles Layton later threw at him.

Despite the delicious dinner, Flora still felt pangs of sadness whenever the man began wheezing and his face got sweaty. It sadly reminded her of the way her father was before he died and it sent some unhappy memories into her. Luke had insisted that he take it easy and even go to bed, but the man refused. Flora was awed by the care that Luke gave to his father. He was so joyous to be with his father again but was more concerned that the man was all right. It seemed like Luke was full of surprises.

Later that night, Flora just couldn't sleep. She had rolled around for hours to get comfortable but nothing seemed to work. Bored out of her mind, she tumbles out of bed and into the family room.

This is where she saw Luke curled up on the reclining chair and the Professor asleep on the couch. Not wanting to wake them up, she gently tiptoes across the wooden floor and to a random door to which she hopes was the kitchen.

The door let out a loud creak, much to her annoyance, as she walks into the dimly lit room. She instantly realizes that it isn't the kitchen until a movement catches her eye.

She scans the tiny, square room, taking notice of the piles of books and papers stacked on the ground. The only light came from a dripping candle at the edge of the desk.

There. There was the movement.

After letting her eyes adjust to the light, she saw the familiar shape of the man in the wheelchair. She gazes back into the droopy eyes of the man and realizes that he looked much worse than he did before.

"Please come here young lady," he rasps right before going into a coughing fit. She rushes to his side and looks down at the man.

"Sir, are you alright?" She asks frantically as he continues to cough.

A few seconds later he raises his head back up and looks her hard in the eye. Painful memories of her ill father hit her once more as she stares back into the red and tearing eyes of the man. His face is exceptionally pale and sweat beads his forehead. He looks so fragile and vulnerable like a crippled kitten lost in a storm.

"Flora," he pants and clasps her hand. She takes notice of how thin and bonny it was, much too like a claw.

"Do you want me to take you back to your room, you should really get some sleep," she offers politely.

"No," he refuses, shaking his head. "I must tell you that I will not be here long."

"Are you moving?" she questions with a tilt of her head.

"Oh-no young one," he gasps, "My time in this world is fading. It will not be long before I am completely gone."

Her heart is caught in her throat and her stomach twists into knots. No…not these words again…

"Please," he whispers as he struggled for air. "Tell Luke not to grieve of my passing. Make sure he is okay…and that he must…move on."

Flora couldn't move - she couldn't speak. All she could do was listen to the man who would change everything about poor Luke's, and possibly her own, life.

With shaking hands, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a beautiful golden locket. Even in the dim light it gleams like stars as he dangles it in front of her.

"This was his mother's," he explains softly, "Please give it to him when the time is right."

Flora slowly puts out her hand, not even realizing she was doing it until the cold metal softly hits her hand. The man clasps her fingers around the locket and gives it a good shake.

"Take care of him for me…" he huffs while his eyes begin to droop and his breathing becomes harsh. "And tell him…tell him that I am…"

Flora silently waits for him to finish his dying words while thinking of how it was all too much to bare. She had thought that she would never have to deal with this again, but she was so wrong.

"Tell him," he pauses, fighting for air as his eyes glistens with pain, "that I am proud of him…and that…I love him…with all…of…my…"

The last word is so quiet she can barely hear it. His hands slowly slip away from hers and his eyes close themselves unwillingly.

"Heart," he breathes his final breath and, without another word, his hands fall to his sides and his head rolls back.

Nothing was said as the man died. Not even the sound of Flora's heart breaking in despair.

Snow blew from the trees and tumbles down on the already formed blanket of snow. It twirls and dances as it silently falls to the ground. As silent as death.

The boy does not shiver and does not cry. He only gazes at the words before him. It was painful to see his father's name engraved so clearly on the slate of stone. The only comforting thing was that he was buried to the woman he loved more than anything.

And to the tombstone to the left was the name of his mother. It was engraved with beautiful cursive that fit her elegance and grace. His father had said that his mother was the most gorgeous being to ever walk the earth and Luke was proud that he had her knack for problem solving.

A soft rustle in the snow made him realize that somebody was behind him. He does not turn around but continues to stare at the cold stone lying before him.

The person moves next to him and sits in the snow, not caring of the cold running up her arms.

Luke does not need to look at her to know who it is. He doesn't know if he is happy to see her or not – at least not yet.

"I'm so sorry," she breathes in a shaking voice. "I know what it is like…to feel the way you do."

Luke doesn't say anything – not because he doesn't want to, but because he cannot. His mouth wouldn't move, it wouldn't follow his commands. Besides, the silence of the graveyard was as soothing as his father's hand on his back. He liked it.

"Your father, much like mine, was in great pain," she explains in a soft voice, "he is now happier and safer up in the clouds where there is no hurt. No longer will he cough or worry because he'll be as content as can be. The only thing to make it better if you are happy too, that is what he wants."

"How do you know," he mumbles back, tears threatening to pour down his face at any moment.

"Because that is what my father told me and what yours told you." At these words, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a shining object. Luke peals his eyes away from the grave and stares at the item in wonder.

It is a locket. A beautiful, golden locket. Luke stares at it in wonder and confusion. He had seen it before…a long, long time ago…but where?

"Your father wanted me to give this to you," Flora explains, "it was your mother's, keep it safe." She takes Luke's hand and opens it up before gently placing the locket into his hands.

His eyes are wide as he averts his attention to the trinket lying in his palm. With numbing fingers, he pries open the cold locket to show a very old photograph of a couple. A young man and woman were sitting together with his hand draped over her shoulders. Her sandy blonde hair fell around her face and her teeth were like white pearls. Tears brim Luke's eyes when he sees the woman to be his mother in her youth. And the man – the healthy and very much alive man – is his father. The broadest of grins and happiest eyes make it so painful when he thinks back to how his father was before he left.

"Your father wanted me to tell you that he is very proud of you," Flora whispers through the quiet, breaking into Luke's thoughts. "He also wanted to tell you that he loves you with all of his heart. Never forget that."

Luke can only nod as he reads the tiny words engraved on the other side of the locket.

_Love gives you courage,_

_Being loved gives you strength._

The death of his father was a big turning point for Luke. He still runs and plays practical jokes on the Professor, but there is something different about him. You could just sense it.

At first I was terribly sad that he had to face such a tragic loss after overcoming such a huge ordeal. One moment he was flying high and the next he was in a pit of despair.

Yet he still manages to impress me. After I gave him that locket he seemed to have grown stronger, as if the locket gave him unknown power. I see him wear it all the time – sleeping, eating, or working - it is always on tucked under his shirt.

I'm happy to say that Luke is still Luke. He doesn't let the death of his father rule his life and it definitely doesn't stop him when he steals the Professor's hat.

Yes, the passing was terrible. But, as the famous saying goes, as one door closes another door shall open.

And so far, I think he likes this door.

_Author's Note_

_Yes, I really have no idea about Luke's background or family. I've only played Professor Layton and the Curious Village so I am completely unaware of what happens in the sequel. This was my first fic for Professor Layton and my first third person fic. I kept changing tenses too so I hope it doesn't get confusing if I missed anything ^^; _

_I do realize that Luke and Flora may act older than they should be but that's because they are not eight year olds. I tried to add some childish things in there once or twice though I had to remain at a certain mood. I hope you enjoyed it! Please press that little button right below here!_

_By the way, if anyone knows when Pandora's Box/The Devil's Box comes out in America I'd love to know! That would be great, thanks!_

_Yeah, don't own Professor Layton in anyway._


End file.
